Photography – Bellows objective camera – Camera front or lens mount angularly adjustable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2001-11-20
Mahoney, Christopher E. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Bellows objective camera
Camera front or lens mount angularly adjustable
C396S530000, C359S822000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318912
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter provided with a tilt and shift mechanism which is adapted to move (tilt and shift) an optical system, e.g., a photographic lens, relative to a camera body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upon photographing a high-rise building or a tall tree viewing upwards, or photographing a deep object viewing downwards, the entirety of the object to be taken cannot always fit within a depth of field. In such a case, the close and/or distant portion(s) of the object become out of focus. Moreover, upon taking a picture of a high-rise building or a tall tree while looking up or down, an image of an upper or lower portion of the object located farther from the camera is made small since light which carries the object image is converged onto a distant point, and hence the image is unnatural. To prevent this, it is known to provide an adapter having a tilt and shift mechanism which tilts or shifts the photographic lens relative to the camera body, between the photographic lens and the camera body.
However, in a camera having an interchangeable lens, such as a single lens reflex camera, if the diameter of a body mount or a mirror box thereof is small relative to the outer diameter of the photographic lens, vignetting of the object light, in which the object light is eclipsed by the body mount or the inner surface of the mirror box, is caused even by a slight tilt or shift.
Furthermore, if a conventional adapter is mounted between the camera body and the photographic lens, the flange back is increased, so that the photographic lens cannot be focused upon a distant object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved tilting-and-shifting device for an optical system, which is free from the above-mentioned drawbacks and which can be advantageously used for camera having an interchangeable lens, such as a single lens reflex camera.
To achieve the object mentioned above, according to the present invention, there is provided an adapter having a tilt and shift mechanism which is mounted between a camera body and a photographic lens to relatively tilt or shift the camera body. The photographic lens includes: a body mount frame which is provided with a mount to which the camera body is detachably mounted; a tilt frame which is connected to the body mount frame, and a shift frame which is provided with a lens mounting mount to which the photographic lens can be detachably mounted and which is connected to the tilt frame to linearly move in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the photographic lens; wherein the tilt frame is connected to the body mount frame to move along an arc having a predetermined radius, the center of the radius being located on a center of an image surface.
With this arrangement, upon tilting, it is possible to form an object image which is on an extension of the optical axis of the photographic lens at the center of the image surface, regardless of the kind of the mounted photographic lens. Moreover, if the tilting occurs after the shifting, the object image on an extension of the optical axis of the photographic lens can be held in the same position on the image surface, regardless of the tilt position.
The tilt frame is provided with an adapter optical system which is adapted to make the focal position of the photographic lens mounted to the adapter coincident with a film surface of the camera. Consequently, the object image on the center portion of the image surface is always in focus, regardless of the tilt position.
Preferably, the body mount frame includes a stationary mount frame which is provided with a mount to which the mount of the camera body is detachably mounted, and a rotatable mount frame connected to the stationary mount frame to rotate about an axis normal to the image surface at the center thereof, the tilt frame being connected to the rotatable mount frame.
Preferably, a click-stop mechanism is further provided between the rotatable mount frame and the stationary mount frame to click and stop the rotatable mount frame at a predetermined angular step.
Preferably, the shift frame is provided with a securing member which is adapted to secure the shift frame to another member. Accordingly, a desired shift effect or tilt effect can be obtained, based on the object caught by the photographic lens.
Preferably, the securing member is a threaded hole in which a screw of a tripod can be screwed.
Preferably, the threaded hole is provided on the side surface of the shift frame that lies in a plane parallel to the sliding direction of the shift frame relative to the tilt frame, and the threaded hole extends in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction.
Preferably, when the screw of the tripod is secured in the threaded hole of the shift frame, the camera body, which is mounted to the mount provided with the body mount frame, can be tilted or shifted with respect to the mount.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No.10-255528 (filed on Sep. 9, 1998) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4229094 (1980-10-01), Baab et al.
patent: 5592331 (1997-01-01), Eastcott
Hirakawa Jun
Shono Tetsuji
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Mahoney Christopher E.
Smith Arthur A
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